


ice cream can be a kind of apology, too

by ro_blaze



Series: fairy tail; rewritten [5]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Gen, anti gruvia, but also very important for the whole fix-it, gray is in denial its ok, hes eventually going to get there, strongly hinted at gratsu because we all need that sometimes, this is pretty feels heavy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:41:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23118655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ro_blaze/pseuds/ro_blaze
Summary: in which juvia has some things to say and gray sits down, listens and makes a good deed.[file five of fairy tail; rewritten. post fantasia arc, pre oracion seis arc]
Relationships: Gray Fullbuster & Juvia Lockser
Series: fairy tail; rewritten [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1221527
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12





	ice cream can be a kind of apology, too

**Author's Note:**

> i've been waiting to post this ever since i wrote it and then i fucking forgot like the idiot i am, so have two files in one day and accept some silence until i finish file six, apology.
> 
> a direct sequel to file four (and maybe to file two as well, you can take the mention of cana as you like). 
> 
> (curls up in a ball and tries best to protect from the hate i'm going to get for saying anti gruvia)
> 
> beta-ed by [ceru](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeruleanShockwave/pseuds/CeruleanShockwave/)!

it’s barely past noon when gray gets to the place where juvia asked him to meet. the sun shines brightly into the sky, washing over his city. he sits on a bench overlooking the main street, not far from where he’d rested yesterday before he'd eventually gone to get natsu, and stares out. these days, he rarely gets the chance to indulge in his old hobby of people-watching.

he’s lost track of time, to busy observing a small commotion at the shop just a couple feet from where his bench is and rolling his eyes in amusement, when quiet steps drag his attention towards the person standing on the other side of the bench. juvia gives him what he can only assume is a smile—it’s a bit weird, on her face, as if she’s not used to smiling—then lowers herself on the bench. gray cannot help but notice she sits as far from his as possible, folded at the very corner, and a touch of guilt bites at his core. _(had he been too rude when he expressed his annoyance? had he hurt her feelings? had— )_

“so,” gray asks, in turn of not digging himself deeper into that hole, “what did you wanna talk about?”

juvia lets out a soft hum and folds her hands over her lap. she’s wearing more bandages than he is, what appears to be a burn peeking over the thick layer of gauze over her cheek. cana’s told him juvia got hurt because of her and while he doesn’t exactly know the details of that happening, gray does know cana had recently grown many times fonder of their resident water mage.

(he can only hope to do the same.)

“juvia wanted— ” she begins, then stops. something appears on her face and not for the first time, gray wishes he was better at reading people. her fingers tremble, fists curled tightly into her skirt. “ _i_ wanted,” she continues, a touch more confidence in her voice, “to apologize.”

for a moment, gray is a bit too struck with her attempt to fight her speaking habits to understand what she’s saying. then, it sinks in.

“apologize?” he asks.

juvia lets out a deep breath. her fingers are curled so tightly her knuckles have turned white. had they been any closer, gray would have touched her hand. however, unease still claws at his guts, so he sits in his spot and waits for her to continue.

“apologize for my behavior,” juvia says, her voice softer than he could have imagined it. “ju— _i_ did some things that shouldn’t be excused. i invaded your personal space, multiple times, i made you feel uncomfortable, i have upset you, i— ” her voice catches for a second, her mouth opening and closing. when she finds it again, there’s a peculiar sort of resolve written on her usually calm face. “i wanted to apologize for all the pain i have caused you. i had no right to do what i did. you have every right to— ”

“i forgive you,” gray says before she can continue.

juvia stands where she was, mid-sentence. her mouth opens once, twice, and gray has to fight the small, idiotic urge to smirk. he watches, only mildly amused, as red of what he is sure is annoyance blooms over her face. 

“pardon me,” she says, the usual sharpness returning to her tone, “but _what_?”

gray allows himself to smile—an easy smile, the kind of smile he gives to his guildmates and friends—and leans back into the bench.

“i forgive you,” he repeats, and it’s the easiest thing in the world. “look, juvia. you’re a cool person. you might have done some… well, pretty weird stuff and made me feel really uncomfortable with them because of that crush you have on me,” a wave of something unpleasant comes when saying that, “but that doesn’t change what you are. i’m not gonna judge you for it.” 

even though a part of him wishes he should judge her for it, gray stubbornly beats it down. his friends flash in his vision—lucy, erza, natsu. everyone deserves a second chance. 

_ stupid flamebrain, making me think about feelsy stuff. _

“i’d like us to be friends,” he tells her, holding one hand out across the bench. “if you want to, of course.”

juvia stares at him. for once, the mask of indifference is gone—he sees the surprise written all over her face, the confusion, the wonder. then, she smiles—it’s still a bit strange, but it’s genuine, and a single tear rolls down her cheek. 

“yes.” she reaches out and squeezes his hand. “juvia would— _i_ would love it.”

when gray pulls his hand back, she doesn’t squeeze him, and he feels the weight in his chest lessening. juvia gives him a look, the corner of her mouth quirking—he can tell she’s still getting used to smiling. he hopes she can learn to do it, for her own sake.

they sit in comfortable silence for a while, staring at the people passing up and down the street. after some time, juvia coughs lightly, and gray turns to face her, one brow arched. she looks at him, then averts her eyes. 

“spit it out,” he tells her, half-amused when she jumps at the sound of his voice.

juvia wriggles her hands. then, she sighs.

“about… about that crush you mentioned?” she stares down at her hands. “i don’t love you, gray.”

gray doesn’t know how to react to that. the horrible things that have been weighing down on his chest finally disappear into the nothing, but it leaves him confused and oddly curious. fortunately, juvia doesn’t seem to be done.

“i… i talked about that, with someone. about what i thought i felt for you.” juvia looks up and stares at the sky, where one fluffy cloud is trying and failing to obscure the bright sun. “and… i hate to admit it, because it makes me feel weak and makes me feel as you’re not as special as i once thought you were, but...” she gestures in the nothing. “i was in a bad place. i had no friends, no one to turn to, and when you stepped in and helped me and showed me kindness, i latched to you. i felt affection for you and i thought it was something more—and that hurt you.” 

juvia stops for a moment. her eyes are closed, her face turned to the sun. she doesn’t smile, but there’s something about the serenity of her face that makes him smile.

“i want to be your friend,” she says, at last.

gray stands up and takes her hand, dragging her up. juvia flails for a second, then grips the bench for balance, an almost annoyance written over her face.

“how about you treat me some ice cream, then?” he offers, making sure to smile so she understand the teasing tone. “that’s the kind of apology i accept.”

juvia blinks owlishly at him, then nods slowly and follows him into the ice cream house a couple of blocks down the street. 

**Author's Note:**

> come visit me at my tumblr, [pan-princess-levy](http://pan-princess-levy.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
